


Twins

by Fleppy85



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: A marine was killed in Vegas. Macy comes over from NCIS L.A. to investigate together with Sara and Sofia. Kind of continuance of "Human Birds" but with an own story.
Relationships: Sofia Curtis/Sara Sidle
Kudos: 4





	Twins

Time was running. Where the hell was Sofia? Sara looked at the time again. Five minutes to late, it seems like with every second the hands of the watch were moving faster. Damn it, Sofia, we have to be on time.  
They were elected to escort a member of the NCIS team Los Angeles to the lab. A navy soldier died in Vegas and the guys from NCIS L.A. wanted to be involved in this case. In fact, their boss would show up. Some guy named Macy. When Sara heard Macy, she thinks of shopping…what brings her back to…  
“Sofia! Finally!” There was the blonde. She said she wanted to get a coffee, instead of that, she had bought a new suit. Never again would Sara go anywhere with her to get somebody. No way.  
“You’re late and why did you buy a new dress? You’re on duty, we’re waiting for this Macy guy, I’ve no idea how he looks and you leave me alone with all this. That’s not the reason why you’re here, you’re not here to get some…where is your coffee? Don’t tell me you vanish for ten minutes, buy a new dress and you didn’t bring me any coffee!”  
Sofia looked in disbelieve and inapprehensive at Sara.  
“Macy guy?”  
“Yeah, you remember, the guy from L.A….” Why did she play dumb? She stood next to Sara when Ecklie sent them.   
“That would be me.”   
”Stop fooling around, it’s not funny. He should be here, he…”  
“Sara?” Sara turned around and her chin ended up on her chest. There was Sofia – again. Sara turned back to the other Sofia in the new dress. One in front of her, a second behind her. How the hell…?”  
“Sofia?” There was her coffee.   
“Sorry I’m late, the queue was so long…”  
“Wait a moment, you’re Sofia with the coffee – and the old dress. Who are you?” She looked again at the Sofia in front of her.  
“Special Agent Lara Macy, NCIS L.A., as I told you.”  
“What’s the matter…?” Sofia stopped when she saw the woman in front of Sara   
“I can see you twice.”  
“I can see myself twice.” Sofia blinked. This woman looked like her. How could that be?   
“Special Agent Lara Macy. Sofia Curtis and Sara Sidle?”  
“Uhm, yes.” Sara tried to get herself together. “I’m Sara that’s Sofia. Sorry, but you two look like twins.”  
“As far as I know I’m an only child.” Macy seemed not to be very impressed.  
“As far as I know I don’t have a twin sister.” Sofia was impressed. It was like standing in front of mirror. She was tempted to make a grimace just to see if the other woman would do the same.   
“Amazing.”  
“Apparently everybody has a twin somewhere in the world. Now, could you please bring me to the csi department? I’ve got a case to look after.”  
“Sure, sorry, this way.” Sara stumbled from the two blond women away. Two Sofias, that was definitely too much for her.

“And?” Sofia leaned next to Sara.  
“And what?”  
“How is my second me?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“You don’t know?”  
“I brought her to Gil and vanished. After the embarrassing meeting at the airport, I thought, it’s better to be away. I stared at her like she was a ghost. And I told her off for being late and buying a new dress because I thought, she’s you.”  
“Her dress is too formal for me. I prefer my suits, at least when I’m working.”  
“I wasn’t pissed off for no reason.”  
“Actually, you were. I didn’t buy a dress. I brought coffee. Coffee, nobody drank.”  
“You were late.”  
“I said sorry for that, the queue was too long.”  
“The next time we’ve to get somebody from the airport, you’ll wait and I get the coffee.”  
“Have you seen the agent from L.A.?” Warrick came in the room.  
“We brought her here.” Sara said.  
“She is hot! Absolutely stunning.”  
“She looks like me.” Sofia furrowed her brows.   
“Yeah, you look a little bit alike, but wha, she is a great L.A. Chick. I wouldn’t mind working with her – closely.”  
“Divorced and again chasing women.”  
“I’m a man what do you expect? A hot blonde comes in the room, I want her.” He smirked.  
“You never said something like that about me.” Sofia complained. “At least not when I was there.”  
“You’re hot too, but she’s…did you see the fire in her eyes? Grrrrr.”  
“I saw how annoyed she was with us, that’s enough.” Sara hopped the agent wouldn’t complain about her behave.   
“I’ll go back to her and Gris, maybe he needs somebody reliable to take care of her. Apparently the last two weren’t that good.” He smiled and walked away.  
“She’s absolutely hot, looks like me and I’m not hot?” Sofia snot.  
“It’s the fire in her eyes.” Sara grinned and got the ringing phone before Sofia could say something.  
“Hey Cath…yeah…alright…I’m on my way. See you in a bit.” She finished the call. “Gotta go, got a case. See you.”  
Sofia followed Sara with her eyes. Her luck that she got that case. She owned Sofia still an answer, a better one than the one before. 

Sara came back around seven in the morning. Her new case, she worked on with Catherine was a murder in the Circus Circus. So long they had a few suspects and would start to interrogate them later in the day.   
She left her clothes in the middle of the bathroom and stepped under the shower. That was the moment she had been waiting for the last twelve hours. Hot water on her skin, washing away all the memories of work and the dirt from the sand, that was heavy in the air today. There must be a sandstorm not too far away from the city.  
She screamed when the shower curtain was pulled away.  
“Can you see the fire in my eyes now?” Sofia stood in front of her.  
“Sofia! Are you crazy? I almost died of a heart attack.”  
“Stop watching Psycho over and over again. See the fire?”  
“No.” Sara grabbed Sofia’s blouse and pulled her under the shower. “Let me feel it.” She kissed her lover and hoped Sofia would be soaking wet in a few seconds. That was the payback for scaring the shit out of her.   
Sofia’s tongues got itself the way into Sara’s mouth and her hands were all over the brunette, finding the shower lotion and allocated it all over Sara.  
“You’re about to destroy a three hundred dollar suit.” She managed to say between a kiss.  
“Your mistake, why do you come in here dressed? A sensible person would be undressed before she opens the shower curtain.”  
“I was too angry with my girlfriend, she saw fire in another woman’s eyes. A woman who looks like me.”  
“I haven’t seen her naked yet, so I can’t swear she looks like you.”  
“Yet?” Sofia pushed Sara to the wall. “Yet?”  
“Yeah, have to work on that.”  
“Work on that? Oh wait, let me work on you…” Sofia’s mouth caught Sara left nipple and she started to suck on it while her hands moved down between Sara’s legs.   
Sara tried to open the blouse of the blonde, but it was wet and too complicated. Didn’t Sofia say, she had already ruined it? Who cared if she just…she torn the blouse apart, ripped of the bra and let her hands run over the newly free skin, one hand to play with Sofia’s breasts, the other one trying to open the pants of the detective.   
“You think it will be that easy?” Sofia asked.  
“It’s not that easy to get a hand on your with all these sticky wet clothes.” Sara complained. It was hard work to get Sofia naked.   
“I gonna make it even more difficult for you.” Sofia let a finger slip into Sara sucked harder on her nipples. Sara lost her consciousness for a second. Yes, it was harder now to concentrate on getting Sofia naked. It was actually almost impossible to concentrate of anything right now thanks to Sofia.

“I didn’t know you’re that jealous.” Sara kissed Sofia softly.  
“That jealous? You wanted to see that woman naked.” Sofia pretend to be angry but she was too happy to be in Sara’s arm. Gently she let her left index finger run over Sara’s scar. A foot long evidence of the awful childhood of her girl friend. A piece of Sara’s life Sofia couldn’t change, couldn’t make her forget. How was Sara supposed to forget when she was reminded of it every morning she took a shower.   
A long, deep scar, long, thin and red on white skin. At the beginning Sara had trembled when Sofia had touched the scar in any way. Now, months later, she was okay with it. She knew, Sofia was careful, she knew Sofia would never hurt her.   
“I could try to have plastic surgery for this thing.” Sara suddenly suggested.  
“What?” Irritated Sofia looked for the eyes of her lover, found them and saw sadness in them. Immediately her heart broke.  
“The scar. I could try to get rid off it, they operate things like this today. Then you’d have a girl friend who can wear a bikini when we go out swimming in the summer.”  
“First of all, it’s your body, if you want an operation to lose the scar, I’ll be with you, I’ll give you all the support you need. Second: I’ve got the most beautiful girl friend in the world, this scar will never change that. You know I don’t mind it and I don’t touch it because I want you to remove it. I touch it because it’s a part of you and I love it just like I love the rest of you. Third, a scar is no reason not to wear a bikini. You’ll look beautiful.”  
“Everybody would stare at it.”  
“They’d stare at you because you’re so beautiful, honey.”  
“You’re telling me this because you’re my girl friend and don’t want to be kicked out of the bed.” Sara tried to laugh.  
“Bullshit. You can’t kick me out of the bed, I’m stronger. You try to kick me and I’ll restrain you within seconds. But it’s very cute when you try to be dangerous and threaten me. I like that.”  
“You’re mocking me.”  
“Yes, I do, honey.”  
“Stop that.”  
“Sorry, it’s one of my favorite hobbies, ain’t gonna stop that.”  
“I’ll have to talk to special agent Macy, maybe she can give you a lecture. I’m sure she can kick your ass and she’ll look damn sexy by doing that.”  
“You’re putting yourself in danger, Sara.” Sofia’s voice became very, very sweet.   
“Danger is my middle name.”  
“Especially when you’re leaving the crime scene without an officer by your side. I really hate that.”  
“I follow the evidence, that’s my job.”  
“You’ve to follow the evidence with an officer by your side. You’re not there to fight a criminal, that’s the job of the police. Give them the chance to do their job.”  
“I always tell you when I go away.”  
“Took me a long time to train you that.”  
“At least I don’t try to stop gangster without a vest. You always run into fire without the right protection.”  
“When there’s no time I’ve to go the way I’m dressed up.”  
“I’d prefer you wearing a vest the whole time.”  
“See, so we both don’t like certain things in each others work behave. Makes us even.” Sofia kissed Sara softly.   
“Don’t say something like that. I want to fight with you now.”  
“Why?” Sofia looked irritated to her girl friend.  
“Coz then we can kiss and make up.”   
“Okay: Shut up, you’re always wrong and I’m always right.”  
“Bitch. Say you’re sorry for that.”  
“I’m sorry.” Sofia laughed. Sara grinned and pulled Sofia in her arms. It was such a great thing to make up, always worth a fight. 

“Sara?” Sara stopped, turned and walked back to Grissom’s office. Immediately she remembered the embarrassing situation of yesterday. Would she get some trouble for that now?   
“Yes Gil.”  
“Have a seat.”  
Yes, she was in trouble. Slowly she slipped on the chair in front of his desk.  
“IS it because of yesterday? I swear, I didn’t know that Lara Macy is our Macy. I even didn’t know she is…she wasn’t…”  
“You mean your misunderstanding with special agent Macy?” Gil’s mimic was stoic.  
“Yes.” Sara sighed.  
“I’ve to say it’s very sad.”  
“I’m sorry Gil…”  
“That you can’t see the difference between a stranger and your girlfriend. What did poor Sofia say to that? Did she forgive you?” He smirked.   
“You’re not mad of me for mistaking special agent Macy?”  
“When she came in I also thought it’s Sofia. My luck was, she told me right away who she was. And I didn’t think, Sofia would change her voice to confuse me.”  
“She was very confused herself.” Sara chuckled. “And yes, I got some trouble for not seeing the difference. It got even worse when Warrick was telling her who hot and sexy special agent Macy is because of the fire in her eyes. That really got the ego of Sofia.”  
“I can imagine.”  
“If you don’t want to tell me off for mistaking her, what can I do for you?”  
“I want you to take care of her. I’ve to go to court today, would you mind going with her to the crime scene?”  
“Of course not.”  
“Leave Sofia here so that won’t get confused.”  
“I guess she’s got another case anyway. To be honest, I thought we wouldn’t work together anymore after…since you know about us.”  
“Wouldn’t that be a little bit odd? If I tell you not to work with her.” He smiled. They worked together while they were a couple and he was her supervisor. How could he tell her not so work with Sofia?   
“But Brass….” Brass knew about them too. Greg, Gil and Brass, they hadn’t told anybody else, only these three.   
“Brass is very fond of Sofia, got her back from Boulder City, he sees a kind of daughter in you, I think as long as the two of you make your job, he’s fine with you working together. I won’t choose your cases because of the officer on scene. If she’s working a scene and you arrive there too, it’s fine, you work perfect together, if you arrive at a scene and she isn’t there, you’ll still do your job as good as always. No need to change anything.”  
“Thanks.” Sara had worried about that for a few weeks, never found the right time to talk to Gil about that.  
“Agent Macy is in the break room, bring her to the scene. You know all the details.”  
“Yes.” Sara got up. “Oh Gil?” She stopped and grinned.   
“Yeah?”  
“It’s detective, not officer. She’s very sensible about her rank.”   
“Got trouble for calling her an officer?”  
“Every time I want to tease her, I call her officer. Works perfect.”  
“I might keep that in mind.” He blinked with amusement. 

“This is where the witness found the body of Sergeant Portfield. We collected traces, some came back as sand, some are still in traces. It looks like the sand is form L.A. and Las Vegas and under his shoes were some little stones, they matched to the place where the bus stopped on it’s way to Vegas.” Sara let her eyes run over the scene again while agent Macy looked at it for the first time.  
“You found the people of the bus?”  
“Some of them. They don’t give their destinations, the Greyhound only drives them to the bus depot and that’s it. The driver could remember a group of four teenager, who asked him how to get to the Circus Circus. He sent them to the Deuce.”  
“He sent them to the wrong place?”   
“No, oh, I’m sorry.” Sara laughed. “The Deuce is the public bus that runs up and down the strip. The cheapest version to go from the bus depot to Circus Circus. He said, there were a few other people going to the Deuce. Captain Brass is talking to the four teenager today, detective Curtis tries to track down some more guest of the bus.”  
“I assume she’s better in doing that than getting you some coffee.” Agent Macy smiled.  
Sara’s face went red. “I’m sorry for that. The two of you…”  
“We look a little bit alike, yes. You really think detective Curtis would go shopping while she’s on the job?”  
“No! No, that’s why I was confused and mad.”  
“She calls you when she found something out?”  
“Yes. It will take some time because as I said, the passengers don’t tell the driver where they stay. We’ve their names, ran them through AFIS, two have a record, theft and pick pocketing, no murder, no violence in their history. They are not in one of the main casinos on the Strip, we checked that already, but…”  
“Vegas has a million opportunities to stay.” Agent Macy finished the sentence.  
“Yes.”  
“The Sergeant got shot with a .45 Kaliber, the killer shot him from behind, coward, no defensive wounds, no sings of struggle. Where do you think the killer was?”  
“Well, the victim was here.” Sara pointed to a place, where the women saw some blood. We think, the killer was somewhere there behind the boxes. We searched the whole area, no bullet case, no shoes prints. The ground is too hard for prints, we got some finger prints, most of them useless because the boxes are too rough, it was almost impossible to lift prints. The guys in the lap try to use whatever is useful.”  
“Did the Sergeant talk to anybody on the bus?”  
“Not that the driver was aware of it.”  
“He checked in the Stratosphere Tower, alone. No room service, didn’t touch his bed. His bags are in the room, he left them there, then what?”  
“Then went down and out of the casino. He didn’t gamble, he didn’t have a drink. He went out, jumped on the Deuce, left at the MGM and vanished from there.”  
“No other casino camera caught him?”  
“It’s the busiest part of the strip, we can try to look at all the cameras in the area, but it will take days. Archie has a lot of videos in audio/video, but until he’ll have something for us, it will take time. Sorry.”  
“We can’t do magic.”  
“What’s about the taxis?”  
“We sent his picture to them but they’ve got hundreds of people a day, especially in the evening, I wouldn’t bet on that.”  
“Any other bus?”  
“Not that we know.”  
“Means, we’ve got a killer, who shot him from the back, here in not a remote area of the city.”  
“Assuming he went here on his own, I wonder if he had any connections to this place? Does he has any relatives in Vegas?”  
“None in his file.”  
“Girl friend?”  
“Not that we know of it. Would be also an odd place for a date.”  
“Yes.” Sara knew agent Macy wouldn’t like the next question. “Was he involved with drugs? The scene…”  
“Indicated drugs or other illegal activities, I know. His tests came back clean, so was the one your guys made. A seller not a user? I’d like to think we don’t have drug problems in the navy, but truth is, drugs are everywhere. Maybe he was a seller, maybe he was forced to deal. It was his week off, we have no idea what he wanted to do here. Most times people go to Vegas, they gamble, they look for an adventure in the sheds, that’s it. That’s what this city is about. Sin city.”  
“But there are no signs of gambling or a girl in his four hours. He left the bus at four pm and approximately four hours later he was death. Check in time was quarter to five, he left the room at five, left the Deuce at half past five, we’ve got two and a half hours we’ve no clue about in this time he died.”  
“Is there a bus running from the MGM to here?”  
“If you change buses, yes.”  
“Okay, we have covered the buses, let’s see the route a taxi would take.”  
“We couldn’t find a driver who drove from the MGM to here on that evening. This isn’t an area for people who have the money for taxis. And it’s not an area taxi drivers want to go to.”  
“Most likely he got picked up.”  
“I’d say so.” It was the easiest way to come here, taking a lift, but it was the most difficult way for the investigators to prove. Hitchhiking, somebody who waited for the sergeant, there would be no record or witness for that.   
Sara cell phone rang.  
“Yes?”  
“Got a guy from the bus staying in the same hotel like the victim.” Sofia’s voice came in Sara’s ear. “His name is Cooper Alice.”  
“Cooper as his name and Alice as his surname?”  
“Yes ma’am.”  
“Alice Cooper sounds like a fake to me.”  
“Same to me. You guys coming down to the Stratosphere? I’m on my way to there, try to get something of this guy.”  
“We’re on our way.”  
“See you in a bit.”  
Sara closed her mobile. “Do you know a Cooper Alice?”  
“No. Is he a suspect?”  
“Well, he checked in with the victim, same hotel and this name screams fake. Both were on the bus, both started their journey in Downtown L.A..”  
“Sounds like an interesting guy to talk to. We’re going?”  
“If you’re done here, yes.”  
“Let’s go.”

“Cooper Alice checked in five minutes after the victim, he stays in a different level, room 3-11-29.” Sofia was not too far from the hotel check-in point. “I called the lap, Archie is looking for a photo.”  
“Do we know where this guy is?” Macy asked.  
“No. But we have an appointment with the hotel manager right now.”  
“That’s fast.”  
“Pushed some buttons.” Sofia smiled lightly. She walked straight to the check-in area, got access to the staff only area and guided the other two women trough the hallways to an elevator.  
“Have you been here before?” Sara wondered.  
“Yes. We’re almost there.” It was clear Sofia wasn’t willing to tell more details.   
Two minutes later they were in the office of the manager.  
“Detective Curtis.”  
“Mister Sorronov, nice to meet you. These are special agent Macy and Sara Sidle with the crime lab.”  
“Three beautiful Ladies in my office, that doesn’t happen often.”  
“I don’t believe that, but that doesn’t matter. We need to talk to you about a guest, Cooper Alice.”  
“I’m sure you don’t expect me to know this person.”  
“No, we don’t. We expect you to help us to find him and talk to him.”  
“Which room?”   
“3-11-29.”  
Mister Sorronov took his telephone. “Karen, could you please send the maid in my office who cleaned room 3-11-29 the last two days. Thanks.”  
“Can we see his check-in paper?” Macy asked.  
“Sure.” Sorronov’s hands flew over the task board of his computer. A few seconds later his printer started to work and he handed each of the women a print over.  
“Cooper Alice, booked his room online three days ago.” Sofia read. “Still check-in, credit card number, no room service ordered, no other things add to his bill so far. No gambler card, no phone calls.”  
“Your victim lived in level fourteen, booked his room four weeks ago.” He handed them another form and smiled thinly when Sara looked surprised with this service.   
“Both men haven’t been in this casino before – at least not under these names. I was so free and contacted a few friends in town, they haven’t stayed in their casinos either.” He gave them a third print with casino names in alphabetic order.   
Now Sara was curious. This guy was way too helpful in her opinion.   
“Why do you provide all these information before we ask for them?” It looked like agent Macy had the same question in mind.  
Sorronov looked shortly at Sofia. “Let’s say, the detective and I are…we have something in common and I always like to help her.”  
“I appreciate the help.” Sofia avoided Sara’s and Macy’s eyes.   
A knock on the door turned the attention away from Sofia.  
“Come in!” Sorronov called.   
A young woman, probably Mexican, entered the room. Her name sign told them, her name was Marcia.  
“Marcia, these are detective Curtis, agent Macy and Sara Sidle with the crime lab. The ladies have a few questions for you, I’d appreciate it if you could help them out.”  
“I’ll try.” The woman was obvious nervous.   
“You cleaned room 3-11-29 today and yesterday?” Sofia said.  
“It’s in my area, yes. We’ve got the same rooms every day.”  
“I guess you’ve got a few rooms to do.”  
“Yes.”  
“We need you to remember this one. I know it’s difficult, they all look the same, but was there something special in this room? Special dirty? Was guest in the room? Anything.”  
“No, nothing.”  
“Marcia?” Macy got the attention of the young woman and started to talk to her in Spanish. Her words were fast.   
Marcia answered the same way. Sara tried to understand what they were talking about, but she never learnt Spanish and the few words she picked up, didn’t help.   
“Gracias, Marcia.” Macy’s eyes met Sofias and Saras. “The room looked like nobody touched anything. The suitcase is inside, the bed wasn’t touched, neither was anything in the bathroom. It’s common in Vegas that people don’t spend much time in their room but she thinks, this guest didn’t spend any time in his room. I’d say we’ll have a look in his room.”  
“Mister Sorronov?” Sofia looked at the manager.  
“You know the drill, I can’t let you in without a warrant or an emergency reason. The room looked untouched, that’s unusual, but everything is unusual in Vegas.”  
“We need a print.”  
“Can’t let you in.”  
“I’ll call a judge for the warrant.”  
“Do that. Whenever you got it, you can go in the room. I’ll advise my people at the reception to give you a key card without questions. Here are the videos of the level his room is in.” Sorronov handed Sofia a dvd.   
“No warrant for that?” Macy asked sweet.  
“I’m free to share my security videos without violation any personal rights. They film public places. Lucky you we keep them three days.”  
“Thanks for that, Mister Sorronov. We’ll be back with the warrant soon.” Sofia got up.   
“Detective?”  
“Yes?”  
“You should make a stop at the reception on your way out. Most people check-in at the computer but some prefer the old paper. I’m sure my people are happy to give you a copy of the check-in form.”  
“Thanks.” Sofia smiled. That would give them the chance to collect a finger print and give them a sample of the hand writing of the man. 

“I’ll try to get us the warrant asap.” Sofia said when they left the casino.  
“We’ll go back to the lap with the information we got here and check if there’s anything new. You call us?”  
“I’ll come over.”  
“Thanks.”  
“No worries.”  
“In which connection do detective Curtis and Mister Sorronov stay?” Macy asked Sara as son as they were in the car.  
“I have no idea.”  
“You work together.”  
“That doesn’t mean I know all the people she knows.”  
“And as her partner?”  
“As I said I don’t know all the people my colleagues know.”  
“I’m not talking about work, Sara.”  
Sara looked surprised at Macy.  
“Come on, I’m not blind. I can see the way you look at her, see the way she looks at you. You’re more than colleagues. Not my business, but I thought, you are close enough to know how she and Sorronov ended up like this.”  
“I don’t….” Have a relationship with detective Curtis, Sara wanted to say. It was more a reflection and made her feel guilty as soon as the thought entered her mind. Who was she that she wanted to lie about Sofia? She wasn’t ashamed. But it felt wrong to talk about her as a lover when she was working. She had to separate private and business life as far as it was possible.   
“But I can ask her.”  
“It will probably not change anything.”  
“No, but you’re right, it was odd.”  
“It gave us a lot of things faster, unfortunately they are not close enough to get us in the room.”  
“Maybe we’re wasting out time with this guy.”  
“Or he is the reason why sergeant Portfield ended up dead. Another possibility is, he vanished at the same time, out of the same casino, he might be dead as well.”  
“Then we need to find his body. I’ll asked the coroner about John Does in the last two days.”  
“And I’ll talk to my colleagues in L.A..”

“Hey, I’m still waiting for the warrant.” Sofia came into the room where Sara was sitting, writing her report.   
“The judge’s not your friend?”  
Sofia smiled and sat next to Sara. After a second of thinking she laid her hand softly on Saras, pet it shortly and put it back in her lap.   
“You wanna know?”  
“Is it important for the case?”  
“No.”  
“Then I don’t have to know.” All she needed to know were things about her case.   
“Would you like to know?”  
“Sofia…”  
“Sara, I asked you as my girl friend, would you like to know why I know Sorronov?”  
“Will I like it?”  
“It doesn’t matter if you like it or not, it won’t change anything.”  
“I trust you…”  
“If you want to know it doesn’t mean you don’t trust me, honey.” Sofia’s eyes found Saras.   
“Tell me, please.”  
“He’s a friend of my mother. They got back together a long time. He knew me when I was in kindergarten.”  
“That’s it?”  
“That’s it.” Sofia smiled.  
“Why didn’t you tell us?”  
“It’s not important. He helped us out with some things but he won’t bent over backwards for me.”  
“How many important people do you know?”  
“It always depends on what you call important. The most important person I know is you. At least for me, you’re the most important one. I love you.”  
Sara knew her face went red. So much for separating work and private life.   
“I…love you too.”   
“I know.” Sofia blinked. “Keep your hands off my double. I don’t like it that you spend the whole day with her. What happen if you mistake her for me when you’re alone with her? When the fire in her eyes hit on you.”  
Sara had to laugh quietly. “No need to worry. She forgave us the little scene yesterday and she figured out we’re more than colleagues, said you can see it the way we look at each other. But I can’t see any fire in her eyes, must be a thing that only Warrick can see. Your eyes are much nicer. The blue eyes I wanna drown in.”  
“I think we can work on that later.”  
“I hope so.”  
“In case we won’t finish together, I’ll come over to your place. Whoever is there first makes the breakfast?”  
“Sounds fair.”  
“Good.” Sofia got up. “I’ll annoy the judge a little bit more to get our warrant. Any luck with the check-in form?”  
“Three different prints, two probably of the employees, the third one should Cooper Alice. So far the computer found one match, the guy who check our man in.”  
“Let’s hope the computer tells us who’s number three. We don’t need the name of the employees, we want the guest’s name.”  
“I’ll call you as soon as I know more.”  
“Okay. See you later.” Sofia formed her lips for a second to a kiss and walked away, leaving Sara alone.   
Sometimes it was hard to work together. Sometimes all Sara wanted was throwing herself in Sofia’s arms for a few seconds and feel Sofia’s skin on her skin. 

“I’ve got at least ten different prints.” Sara moved her hair out of her face. They had waited three hours for the warrant of the room. As soon as they got it, Macy, Sofia and Sara went back to the Stratosphere Tower and as Mister Sorronov had promised, got exit to the room without a problem.   
Meanwhile they had a face to the name of Cooper Alice. Ironically the man had longer black hair and seemed to be in his fifties.   
“I got the prints from the housekeeper.” Sofia came back with a set of prints. “Four were in this room in the last two weeks. And four different guests.”  
“Makes eight plus our Mister Alice and…whoever. Room service?”  
“There were some room service order, they’re still checking who served the orders.”  
“The housekeeper was right, Cooper didn’t use the bath.” Macy came out of the bathroom. “I looked for prints, hair, fibers, nothing.”  
“According to Greg, who works on the videos to help Archie, he stayed ten minutes in his room, he left just seconds after our victim left. He used to front door while the victim used the side entrance to Las Vegas Boulevard. Means, they might have been on the same bus.”  
“Time to open his suitcase.” Sara took the suitcase and placed it on the bed. “Damn it. A number lock.”  
“I know what you can do for the rest of the night.” Sofia grinned.  
“Dream on. Lift the suitcase.”  
“Why?”  
“Do it.”   
Sofia took the suitcase. “It’s light, like nothing is inside.”  
“Exactly. Shake it.”   
Sofia shook the suitcase. No sound of anything.   
“Okay, he arrives here with an empty suitcase, leaves the hotel at the same time like sergent Portfield, something is very wrong.” Macy said. “Did he have any other bag?”  
“Yes, a little daypack. He took it with him when he left the hotel.”  
“His stuff. With a little bag, he never intent to stay the four nights he booked. Why do you book a room for four nights when you don’t stay?”  
“Well, if you book for one night and don’t appear for the check-out, people start to look for you. Book four nights, that gives you plenty of time to vanish. I beg when we have a closer look at his credit card, it doesn’t exist anymore.” Sofia guessed.   
“Might be possible.”  
“I’ll take the prints and the suitcase back to the lap.” Sara got a huge bag out of her kit.   
“I’ll send the photo of Mister Alice to missing persons, check the credit card and try my luck again with the bus.” Sofia sighed. “And I’ll talk to Mister Sorronov again.”

“I hate these days with double shifts.” Sofia snuggled closer to Sara and laid her head on the shoulder of the investigator.  
“The only good thing was we could work a lot together.”  
“You had my double the whole time with you.”  
“Yeah, surrounded by two Sofias, poor me.”  
“Lucky you.”  
“That’s in the eye of…ouch.” Sara ribbed her hip. Sofia had punched her. “Violence in the relationship. Domestic violence.”  
“You get only what you deserve.”  
“That’s what the abusing husbands say.”  
“Sara.” Sofia placed her finger on Sara’s chin and turned the head of the brunette so that they looked each other in the eyes. “Don’t say things like that. You know I’d never hurt you, don’t you?”  
“Yes.” Sara kissed Sofia’s tip of the nose.   
“Good. It might be a joke, but I know you had to live with domestic violence. I don’t want you to be reminded of this time in any kind of way in our relationship.”  
“You don’t strike me as a violence person. Some people say, when you grow up as a child with domestic violence, you’re likely to end up in a relationship like this when you’re older. I guess that’s a reason why I hated to date, I didn’t want to end up like my mother. Being in a relationship to find out, the horror of the childhood returned and I’ve to go through all that again. I know I’m not strong enough to survive that again.”  
“You don’t have to. I won’t let you go, you’re stuck with me, Sara Sidle, get used to it. I’d rather marry you than letting you go.”  
“Was that a proposal?” Sara grinned.  
“No, it wasn’t. You know why? Cause you’d say no and I won’t ask until I’m sure you’ll say yes.”  
“You also know I’d say no because it’s too early not because of you? Beside the fact it’s impossible and illegal for us to get married here, I’d marry you in a few years.”  
“Few years? Hey, I wanna look stunning on my wedding photos in this long, white dress. Can’t get married when I’m old, full of wrinkles and nothing is where it’s supposed to be. Time is working against my body.”  
“Can’t believe that.” Sara let her hand run through Sofia’s body. “This body looks perfect to me. Better than the ones of the show girls in the city.”  
“So you watch the show girls?” Sofia smirked.  
“I saw a few, the job brings that with it.”  
“Not private?”  
“No, not private. I don’t take the flyers they offer you on the Strip, why should I? Got the most beautiful woman at home.”  
“There was a time before me. Hard to believe, but somehow you manage to escape my charm for a long time.”  
Sara laughed. “Yes, I did. Before you was Grissom. I came to Vegas because of him, had this…accident with Hank that showed me, I’m not happy wasting myself with somebody I don’t really want to be with. There was nobody between you and Gil, I told you, I don’t separate sex and love. Again the time with Hank showed me, I don’t enjoy either sex or myself when I try to make compromises here.”  
“You strike me as happy when we’re together, you told me you love me, it looks like I made something right.”  
“You did. You do.”  
“Good. Honestly I couldn’t handle losing you, Sara. I can’t and I don’t want to imagine a life without you. Living without you seems to be senseless.”   
“In that case, be nice to me and I might stick around you longer.” Sara smirked. If Sofia wanted her, the blonde had to work for that. 

The phone ended their sleep five hours later.   
“Mhmmm?” Sara’s voice was not very happy.   
“Sara, it’s Gil.”  
“You know what time it is?” She didn’t but she felt like she slept only an hour.  
“I’m sorry but I need you in. Sofia too.”  
“Did you call her at home?!  
“That’s what I’m doing right now, I think.” She could hear him chuckle. Yes, somehow her home was Sofia’s home too.   
“What happened?”  
“We found another body and it seemed to be the guy who followed Porterfield.”  
“Shit. Where?”  
He gave her the address. Meanwhile Sofia was awake. Knowing it was something about the case she got up and started the coffee machine.   
“They found the man we suspected as the killer of Porterfield. He had been shot and it looks like he died not long after Porterfield.”  
“Somebody wanted both dead? A coincidence? He killed Porterfield and got killed by… friends of the soldier? Somebody who watched the killer killing him and thought, he wanted what he got and killed him?”  
“I’ve no idea.” Sara looked for something to dress. “Fuck. I need to wash and iron and…I need some time for my household.”  
“I’ll help you, I’m a master in ironing.”  
“I knew you’d come handy one day with all your suits.”  
“They need to be perfect, I hate it when my clothes are full of wrinkles.”  
“Snob.”  
“I call it style. Got your coffee.” Sofia handed a coffee mug in Sara’s hands and kissed her.   
“I got our breakfast in the fridge, sandwiches. Who’s driving?” With Grissom and Macy on the scene, they wouldn’t surprise anybody when they arrive in the same car. And Sara could go back to the lab with Grissom.   
“The detective of course.”  
“Of course.” Sara grinned. This time she would let Sofia drive without any further argument. She wanted her coffee and sandwich. The next time, when they had already something to eat, she’d ban the blonde on the passenger’s seat.  
It took them twenty minutes to arrive at the scene. Enough time to have breakfast and talk about possibilities. Sara loved talking cases through with Sofia. Hearing the case from the side of the detective was always interesting, the fact that Sofia had been a CSI added another plus to Sara’s list. Sofia knew how to think and how to work as a CSI; she knew when she and Sara were together on a case, what Sara was thinking and doing.   
Grissom and Macy were at the scene, so was David.  
“Hey.” Sara said.  
“Thanks for coming in early.” Grissom smiled at her. “Detective.”  
“What do you want me to do, Grissom?” Sofia asked.   
“Officer Kenner was first on scene, he can give you the heads up.”  
“Thanks.”   
“Bullet?” Sara looked at the body in front of them. The man was lying on his face, blood was next to his head.   
“Possible gunshot to the head, yes. We’re about to turn him.” David said. “Could somebody give me a hand?”  
“Sure.” Grissom helped him to turn the man. Sara took her camera and started to take photos. The man was around seven foot tall, two hundred pounds and had black, long hair. His eyes were closed and there was nothing on him that suggested he was here for a special reason.   
“The vic was found by a worker of the company that owns this place.” Sofia came back to the investigators and watched them processing. “I’ll talk to this man, but there is one thing I wanted to know if you noticed that. This area is around a mile away from where we found Portfield. When we assume he followed Portfield, they might have been on the same bus the whole time…”  
“We’ve got nothing that leads us in that way.” Grissom stopped her.  
“I can tell you one think these two guys have in common; besides the place they stayed in.”  
“Which is?”  
“The company that owns this area has the same owner like the company we found Portfield. You don’t see it on the first look, but when you dig a little bit, you’ll find out, these companies are owned by Marco Bertolli.”  
“Do we have to know this man?”  
“Marco Bertolli is a mob boss from Queens, New York. He started to buy companies in Vegas five years ago, owns four so far. I’m not sure how far coincidence goes.”  
“I don’t believe in coincidence.” Macy got up. “Good work, detective. I want to talk to this man, maybe he can give us a reason why there are two dead bodies on his premises.”   
“Sofia, do you know where to find Bertolli?”  
“His main residence is in New York. I’ll look his Las Vegas address up.”  
“You ever worked a case with Bertolli as a suspect?” Sara asked. She was surprised that Sofia knew so much about this mob boss.   
“Not the suspect, the victim. His wife got killed in Vegas two years ago. Rumors are, another mob family ordered the hit. I’ll get the files out when I’m back in the department.” Sofia smiled and left.  
“A good detective, who thinks like a CSI and a cop is priceless.” Macy said.   
“The gain of the police was our loss.” Grissom threw a short look at Sara. “I wish we had her still with us.”  
“We’ve got her eyes on the scene, that has to enough.” Sara smiled.   
“Looks like a .45 caliber to me.” Macy got closer to the wound. The gun had entered the head right in the center and because there was no exit wound, the bullet had to be in the head.   
“Like Portfield. Same killer?”  
“We’re getting similarities between him and Portfield. Do we have an i.d. on him? I mean something, that doesn’t say his name is Cooper Alice?” Sara still didn’t believe this was the real name of the man.   
“No i.d. at all, no wallet.”  
“Money in his pockets?”  
“No.”  
“He didn’t walk here, he needed some money or a credit card to get here. I don’t think he hitchhiked. Whoever killed him took the wallet, made it look like a robbery. I’ll have a look around, maybe he left something on the scene that will lead us to him.” Sara took her kit and walked away. Nobody could kill two men without leaving any evidence. 

“Detective Curtis.”   
Sara’s head got up. She hadn’t seen Sofia but Macy’s voice got her attention to Sofia, who was just entering the room.   
“What did you find out about Marco Bertolli?” Macy had tried to locate the man but she hadn’t found any address or a telephone number.  
“I tried to locate him but there was no Las Vegas address or telephone number.”  
“NYPD is very interested in our cases.” Sofia leaned against the door. “I checked with them, Bertolli is involved in a dozen cases over there, ongoing cases. It looks like his family and another family are having a little private war. Twenty dead bodies and the dozen of injured people, also bystander.”  
“Busy guy.”  
“You’ve got any idea how to get him in?” Sara asked without taking her eyes off the evidence.   
“Like Macy said there’s no Vegas address of him, but I have let him know we want to talk to him.”  
“How?”  
“I’ve got my weasels. Can’t promise it will get us anywhere.”  
“How will you know if we can see him?”  
“I’ll get a call. Usually it works that way.”  
“You used this weasel often? Is he reliable? Can you trust him?” Sara wasn’t worried about the case, she worried about Sofia. Having her lover meeting a man who was supposed to be responsible for twenty dead people wasn’t something Sara liked to know.  
“He’s all right. Did you find anything?”  
“Nothing that will give us any evidence against anybody. The bullet is still in ballistic.”  
“I’ll have a look for it.” Macy excused herself with a smile.   
Sofia stepped a little bit further in the room.   
“Did she just leave to give us some time alone?”  
“I’d say so.” Sara smiled a little bit. “She’s very fond of you.”  
“Is she?”  
“Yeah, you impressed her with your knowledge about Bertolli.”  
“Did I impress you too?” Sofia leaned closer to Sara, almost touching her.   
“You impress me every day by simply being you. No need to bring up all your connections and knowledge. I know you’re damn smart, I worked with you in the lab.”  
“Are you avoiding me in any kind, Sara?” Sofia’s finger touched Sara’s hand.   
“What?”  
“Tell me what bothers you?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Sara.”  
“Nothing that belongs here. Nothing that I should bring up all. Stupidity.”  
“I think it’s time we both take a break, I’m sure you didn’t have a break so far.”  
“Sofia…”  
“Please. I really don’t like it when something bothers you. Leave the evidence, take ten minutes. I know you’ve nothing to eat with you, let’s go down to the deli and get a sandwich.”  
Sara sighed. She could see in Sofia’s face she was serious about this. And she was right, Sara didn’t have a break so far and she had nothing to eat with her. Nobody would complain if she took a break to get something to eat.   
“Alright.”  
Without further words they left the building and went to the deli. With a coffee and two sandwiches each they sat down.   
“What’s wrong, Honey?” Sofia sat close enough to Sara that their knees touched each others. She wanted to be even closer to Sara but this wasn’t the time and the place for that.   
“You said this Bertolli killed twenty people.”  
“That’s what New York said.”  
“And you want to meet him.”  
“He’s a person of interest.”  
“He’s a killer.”  
“He isn’t convicted.”   
“Sofia.” Sara’s eyes were sad.  
“Do you want me not to meet? Are you asking me not to do my job? Because it is my job to find him and talk to him, you know that, Sara.”  
“I know.”  
“But?”  
“I don’t want you to be…I don’t…I’m scared.”  
“I’ll take care of me, Honey, I always do.”  
“I know.”  
“He’s dangerous.”  
“So am I.”  
„No, you’re gorgeous.“  
“Thanks.” Sofia smiled and took Sara’s hand. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry. And I’m not that stupid, I won’t meet him in a dark alley around midnight somewhere in the nowhere.”  
“He won’t come to the department.”  
“I’m afraid he won’t.”  
“Bugger that.”  
“No matter how much influence he might have, he won’t get me away from you. Nothing can get me away from you. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
“Good. Now that we have that clear we can go back to work. I want to be on time home, I’ve got a date with a sexy brunette.”  
“Really? I was thinking of picking up a blonde.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah, there’s a new one in the lab…ouch…” Sara held her shoulder. “On the other side, I’ve got a stunning blonde at home, I don’t need anybody else.”  
“You don’t need or you don’t want anybody else?”  
“Both.” Sara smiled.   
“That sounds better.” They left the deli. This fifteen minutes had been a good idea, Sara felt much better now. Rested and her head was clean for the evidence.   
“I could make pancakes for breakfast.” Sara said out of the blue.  
“You want to be my housewife? I’ll take that offer. Do I get chocolate spread and bananas with them?”  
“Sure. We…” A black car stopped with squeaking tires next to them. Before any of the women could react the door was opened, two men jumped out, one pushed Sara away and then they grabbed Sofia and pulled her in the car.  
“Sofia!” Sara tried to get to the car but by the time she was there, the car was back on the street and took off.   
“Sofia!” She yelled and tears shot in her eyes. Somebody had abducted Sofia! She got her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Jim’s number. The captain answered her call after two rings.   
“Brass.”  
“Jim! They’ve got Sofia! They took her! Abducted her right from the street! You’ve to get her! Please, they’ll hurt her…”  
“Sara?”  
“Jim please…”  
“Calm down. Where are you? Who has Sofia?”  
“I’m in front of the lab, at the deli. There was a black car…station wagon…”  
“Do you have the plate?”  
“No.” There had been no time for her. Everything was so fast.  
“I’ll be with you in a sec. Don’t go anywhere.”  
Sara tried to mop the tears out of her eyes. Grissom. She had to call Grissom.   
“Gil…”  
“Sara, what happened?” He needed only this one word to figure out something had happened. He knew Sara, he knew when she was upset.  
“Somebody abducted Sofia.”  
“What?”  
“In front of the deli. You…you have to come…we need to process the area, we need to find her. Gil, they might hurt her..”  
“Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be down in a second.” He ended the call.  
The second man who told her not to move and to calm down. How was she supposed to calm down when somebody abducted Sofia? Why did they go here? Why didn’t they stay in the lab? Why did they work this case? Sara was sure, Sofia was abducted because of this case. If this Bertolli guy had her, she was in serious danger. If he hurt her….Sara had no idea what to do without Sofia.   
“Sara!” There was Jim. He must have been somewhere close. Sara threw herself in his arms and didn’t care that she was crying.   
“They took Sofia. Jim, they just grabbed her from the street. They…”  
“Sara!” And there was Grissom. With him were Macy, Nick and Greg.   
“What happened?”  
“We had a break in the deli, were on our way back to the lab, suddenly a car stopped, somebody pushed me on the sidewalk and pulled her into the car…”  
“What can you tell me about the car?” Jim asked without letting Sara out of his arms.   
“Black, station wagon, uhm…older…Ford, I think the 2002 model. These guys were dressed in black, I didn’t see a face, it was too fast. They were professionals. Jim, I think this Bertolli has her. He found out she wanted to talk to him and abducted her. He’s a killer…”  
“Don’t panic.” Jim pulled Sara in Grissom’s arm to call his colleagues. They didn’t have much, but if they had to, he’d let every black Ford station wagon 2002 model stop.   
“Where did it happen?” Grissom asked.  
“Right here.”  
“Nick, secure the scene. We need at least twenty yards in every direction. Greg, get some witnesses, there are some people standing around, they might have seen more.”  
“You think it was Bertolli?” Macy asked.  
“She wanted to see him, she sent a weasel, he got her.”  
“We’ll get her, Sara, don’t worry.” Jim said.   
“If he hurts her…”  
“He won’t.”  
“She might be too interested in him…”  
“Sara, as far as I know, all cops in New York interested in him and he didn’t kill one of them. She will be all right, don’t worry. Come on, I get you away from here and you can gice me your statement in the department.”  
“There’s no time, we…”  
“Grissom will take care of the scene and I’ve sent my guys out to find her. There are two officers coming, they’ll help Greg to get statements and we’ll have her back in no time. Don’t worry, come on, let’s get inside.” Jim wanted to get Sara away from the street. He needed her to calm down and she wouldn’t do that here. 

Sofia had tried to fight but the men were too strong. She found herself in the middle of the backseat of the car, tied and blindfolded.   
“What the…”  
“Shut up!” No accent. Whoever was with her was American. Sofia had the same thoughts like Sara, she suspected Marco Bertolli to be behind this.   
“What do you want?”  
“Shut up!”  
“I want to…” The rest of her words went down in some kind of clothes that was pushed into her mouth. If they thought she would let them shut her up that easy they were wrong.   
When the car stopped (Sofia had count ten minutes from the time she had been abducted) she listened to the doors. The one left to her was opened first. She pulled her legs to her upper body, turned, kicked the man next to her. From the noise he made, she hit him but when she tried to get out of the car, she was stopped by the second man. Being blindfolded and tied up were two other things that made her flight impossible.   
“Bitch.” She was sure she’d be punished for that but before somebody could kick or slap her another voice appeared.   
“Don’t touch her.” This time there was an accent. East coast. Marco Bertolli. She had been right. Somebody got the clothes out of her mouth but she was kept blindfolded.   
“What the fuck is going on? Are you that fucking scared of me, Bertolli, that you need two men to abduct me? And have me tied and blindfolded?” Sofia’s voice was angry. She wasn’t sure if she was more angry with herself or the man.   
“You’re very brave or very stupid, Lady.”  
“You are very cowardly when you need all these things to handle me.” She heard footsteps coming up to her, prepared herself for a slap or a kick, any kind of pain. Instead of that somebody torn away her blindfold.   
Sofia needed a few seconds to get used to the light again. In front of her was a tall man in his late forties. He had black hair, his eyes were behind shades and he wore a black suit.   
“You know your chance to survive is lower when you see who is around you.” He said.  
“If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. A nice shot while your monkeys drive by, no need to go through all these troubles. Cut through the shit and tell me what you want.”  
“As far as I am informed you wanted to talk to me, detective Curtis.”  
“As a matter of fact, yes I wanted to talk to you, Mister Bertolli. I thought of the department, you know, to keep it formal.”   
“I prefer the personal way.”  
“The next time you want to talk to me on the personal way, we could meet in one of your restaurants. I’m sure you’ve got a few in Vegas.”  
“You’ve got good information.”  
“My colleagues in New York have you as their hobby.”  
“Have you been told that you’re very cheeky?”  
“Yeah my mother and my grandmother both criticized that and I have more respect for them.”  
“I like brave women. I know you have more than a big mouth, quite smart to kick one of my men out of the car. Not many men would have done that, probably none of them.”  
“Men are stupid. You can treat them like sheep. Just bring them to their place to die, they won’t fight.”  
“Some would call you foolish.”  
“I don’t give a shit what some people say.”  
“That’s why you are here. I assume you want to talk with me about the two dead men.”  
“I do.” Finally. It seemed like Sofia would get her statement. A little bit in a different way than she wanted it, but she wasn’t fussy.   
“You assume I killed them or ordered to kill them.”  
“It looks like that.”  
“I didn’t.”  
“You don’t really believe I’ll take your word for that, do you?” Sofia had problems to stay at least reasonable serious. A killer, okay, a man who was supposed to be a killer of twenty people, told her, he didn’t kill these two and wanted her to believe it. Amusing.   
“Why should I kill them?”  
“We’ll find that out.”  
“Do you think you’re in a position to threaten me? Your gun is in the car, you’re tied up, here are five men with guns…”  
“As I said before, if you wanted me dead I’d be dead by now. Save the show for somebody else.”  
“I didn’t kill these men, they worked for me.”  
“What?”  
“Why should I kill my own men?”  
“One of them seemed to follow the other.”  
“Both checked in the same hotel, both had the same order, both got killed the same way I assume. They were suppose not to get connected to each other. Next time I’ll take different hotels.”  
“What were they suppose to do?”  
“You don’t expect me to answer that, do you?”  
“It was worth a try.” Sofia smiled.   
“Do you have somebody with half a brain working these cases?”  
“I beg your pardon?”  
He smirked. “Your CSI lady, is she any good?”  
“The best.”  
“She’ll tell you I’m telling you the truth.”  
“Right now she won’t waste any thought of these cases because she’ll be too busy to find me.”  
“Thanks to your GPS on your cell phone they’ll find you very soon.”  
“I know.”  
“You also know about my problems in New York?”  
“You mean your thick file at NYPD or the small war you’ve got with another mob?”  
“NYPD wouldn’t kill two of my men in Vegas. Think about it, detective.” He nodded to his men. One took Sofia and pulled a blindfold over her eyes.   
“Oh come on, I thought we were over this.” She sighed.   
“Keep working, detective.” Instead of being pushed in the car she heard how car doors were closed and two cars drove away. They left her here.   
With her hands tied on the back and blindfolded she had not other choice than sitting or standing around and waiting for help. She couldn’t reach her cell phone but after they had left it with her, she was sure, help was on it’s way.  
Concentrating on counting minutes and listen to her surroundings, Sofia sat on the ground. How much time would they need? She had been abducted for how long? Half an hour? That should be enough. GPS was sending it’s signal, all they had to do was following it.   
Marco Bertolli had ordered his men to abduct her. He had let her taken to here, to talk to her. Why? Was he saying the truth? Were these two men working for him and one of his enemies had killed them? On Bertolli’s premises to frame it on him. Why would he do that? Why kill Bertolli’s men here? Were they about to get their war over to Vegas? Was it a warning? A payback?   
A car was coming. That meant either somebody was here to rescue her or she was in real problems. Wherever she was, she wasn’t in an area with people around, that would help her. It had looked more like the opposite. Right now she had no other choices than waiting and hoping. She could run but seeing nothing she wouldn’t make it far.  
“Sofia!”   
One word to turn her whole world into a wonderland. One word and it didn’t matter anymore that she couldn’t see, she jumped up and started to run in the direction the voice has come from. One word and she knew, whatever happens now, it would be good because Sara was there.   
There were her hands, Sofia could feel them. She felt Sara’s arms around her, felt her breath on her neck. She felt Sara’s warmth, she felt Sara.   
“Sara.”  
“Are you all right?” Sara didn’t bother to let Sofia go. Her lips found the lips of the detective and although Sofia was sure they weren’t here alone, they both shared a long kiss.   
“I’m fine. Could you get rid off this blindfold? And I could use my hands again, can’t hug you.”  
“Sorry.” Sara removed the blindfold and got the key for Sofia’s handcuffs, she was cuffed with, out of the pocket of the detective.   
“Thanks.” Sofia smiled, taking Sara in her arms. Next to her lover were Jim, Grissom and Macy.   
“Did they do anything to you?” Jim asked.  
“No, they wanted, but Bertolli stopped them.”  
“It was really Bertolli?”  
“Yes. And before we waste any more time, he drove a black Mercedes, new model, no plates.”  
“I’ll put it on the radio. Anything else?”  
“He claims he didn’t kill the men.”  
“Really?” Jim laughed.   
“According to him it has something to do with New York, the family he has trouble with over there. Cooper and Portfield were working for Bertolli.” Sofia looked at Macy. “That’s what he said.”  
“Can be a lie.”  
“I know.”  
“Can be true too. We’ll check on that.”  
“Why kill two men about a fight that’s on in New York?” Grissom asked.   
“Portfield was supposed to go to New York next week.” Macy explained.   
“Kill the enemy before he is in your area, smart move.”   
“We’ll get closer to Bertolli and his opponent. First of all, we need to get Sofia back to the department.”  
“I am fine.”  
“You lost your weapon.”  
“They took it away when we were in the car. I’ll file in a form as soon as we’re back.”  
“You should go home for tonight.”  
“Why?”  
“Let’s see, you got abducted by a mob boss, I think that’s a reason why. Beside the fact that you’re over eight hours on duty.”  
“We’re chasing a killer.”  
“You are a victim in the Bertolli case now, Sofia.”   
“Jim, I am a detective in this case, not a victim. I interviewed a person of interest or a suspect, however you want to call him.”  
“You can be a detective later, now you’ll go back to the department, fill in your form for the gun and then you’ll go home.”  
“He’s right.” Sara whispered.   
“And on your way from the department home you can pick up Sara and take her with you.” Grissom said. “You both worked enough and could need a break.”  
“Gil, I…”  
“Sara, it’s an order.”  
“Bosses get harsher, they send you home.” Macy smiled.   
“If we get Bertolli we’ll call you.” Jim assured them. 

“Sara, talk to me.” Sofia pleaded. Sara had kept distance to her the whole way back. Sofia did as Jim told her, she reported her gun stolen, gave her statement and went to the lab to get Sara and take them both home. Sara had barely talk to her, had never touched her and had spent the whole time on the passenger’s seat staring out of the window without saying anything. Now in Sofia’s flat Sofia couldn’t bear it any longer. She needed the brunette to talk to her.   
Sara closed her eyes, leaning on the kitchen door.   
“He could have killed you.”  
“I am alive.”  
“He could have killed you. He let his guys took you away like you were a little child’s lollypop…no, don’t touch me. I…I can’t keep myself together if you touch me.”  
“You don’t have to, Sara.” Sofia carefully wrapped her arms around her lover, pulled her into her arms.   
Barely in Sofia’s arms Sara’s strength broke. She burst into tears and Sofia had to hold her otherwise the brunette would have lost her balance and fell. Step by step Sofia got Sara away from the door, to the bedroom, onto the bed. Her lips kissing away all the tears in Sara’s face, she started to undress her lover. Piece by piece, slowly, never stopping kissing her until she had Sara and herself undressed and covered under the blanket in bed. Sofia wrapped her body around Sara’s cold and trembling body.   
“I love you.” Sofia whispered in Sara’s ear, kissing the earlobe.   
“I don’t want to lose you.” Sara sobbed.   
“The way I see it you are pretty far from losing me. I am all over you, literally. And there’s nothing, not even a sheet of paper, that fits between us. You’ve got me, Sara, you can’t lose me.”  
“I almost lost you.”  
“He never wanted to kill me.”  
“How can you be sure?”  
“If he wanted, he would have ordered his men to shoot me while they drove by. Less harassment and quicker. He wanted to talk to me, which I let him know.”  
“You risked your life.”  
“It’s part of my job; it’s part of your job. We are at crime scenes, we both know, entering an old crime scene is dangerous, the bad guys tempt to come back. We risk our lives every day, more or less obvious.”  
“He left you in the middle of nowhere, blindfolded and tied up.”  
“He knew you were on your way. A minute before he left, he mentioned that you guys will track my cell phone and will find me pretty soon. There were less than five minutes between him leaving and you being there. I don’t think he wanted me to be hurt. If he really is innocent, us finding out his opponent killed the two men, would help him. And it seems like he wants me to find that out. And he said, if you are any good, you’ll bring me the evidence to prove his innocence. I assured him you’re the best.”  
“He abducted you, I want him locked up I don’t want to help him.”  
“Fair enough, I’m sure he belongs to be locked up, but if he didn’t kill these two men, their killer deserves to get locked up too. And we’ll make sure whoever killed them, will pay for it, won’t we?”  
“Yes.”  
“Good.” Sofia kissed Sara’s tip of the nose.   
“He really didn’t hurt you?”  
“No. They got me a little rough in the car but I gave them a hard time. And as soon as I heard the door was open, I kicked one guys out of the car. Unfortunately I was tied up and blindfolded so my escape ended very fast. It did impress Bertolli although.”  
“You impressed a mob boss?”  
“Yeah I wasn’t afraid enough, he called me cheeky and I told him my mom and grandma criticized that too and my respect for them is bigger.”  
“Did you try to get shot?”  
“It was clear to me if he wanted me dead he wouldn’t have bothered with me seeing him. He knew I wanted to talk to him and he wanted to talk to me too.”  
“Don’t you ever do anything like that again, do you hear me?”  
“I try not to. But if they grab me, what was I supposed to do. It was worse that I saw you being pushed away and scared than being in their hands.”  
“I was safe.”  
“So was I. I got a joyride instead a hard fall on the sidewalk. I saw your knees, we need to put something on it.” Sara had two wounds on her knees from the fall on the sidewalk. She hadn’t bothered to do something about them, like she hadn’t cared of her torn trousers. The only thing in her mind was Sofia and getting her back safely and healthy.   
“I’m fine.”  
“I’ll have a look at them later. I don’t like my girlfriend being bruised.” Sofia kissed Sara’s lips.   
“I love you.” Sara snuggled in Sofia’s arms.   
“I love you too. And you, my lovely girlfriend, kissed me in front of everybody. What happened to your profession?”   
“I was too happy to have you. And I don’t think anybody was surprised. They all knew about us before.”  
“My girlfriend, the one who loves to make a secret out of everything, kissed me in public I feel honored now.”  
“You’re stupid.” Sara nudged Sofia.   
“Sure I am, I’m blond.”  
“I’m not sure if this is your real hair co…”  
“Don’t you ever dare to go there, Sara Sidle! Never ever go there again.”  
“You know, when people react that aggressive, the thing you assume is usually right…” Sara got stopped by a long kiss. There was no way Sofia would discuss her hair color with Sara. That was not her business. And it didn’t matter if she was real blond or maybe needed some help to be that blond. It looked good on her and that was all that counted. 

“We got some DNA from the blindfold and the rope was tied up with.” Greg came with a sheet of paper in the room Sara was processing the clothes of Cooper Alice.   
“And?”   
“Male, like she said, he is in the system, a Walker Johnny.”  
“Walker Johnny?” Sara furrowed her brows.  
“Unbelievable, isn’t it?”  
“You know, I start to believe Bertolli’s story. It seemed like his people liked to use famous names in the wrong way. Portfield doesn’t fit in this.”  
“He was a Marine, he couldn’t change his name without the attention of other people. I’m sure he had a nickname…Daniel Jacks maybe?”  
Sara smiled. That was Greg, that was why she liked him so much.   
“There she is smiling, finally. I didn’t know I need such a cheap jokes to make you smile.” He hugged her. He had seen Sara the night before, how tensed she was, how much she suffered every second and had had no idea what he could do for her.   
“She is fine, isn’t she?”  
“Yes she is. She’s better than I am.”  
“Tough cop. Time to show her what a tough investigator you are. Brass is on his way to talk to Walker Johnny, do you want to watch it?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’ll give you a call when they are here. What did you find on the clothes?”  
“Not much.” Sara had told them about Bertolli’s comment, they’d find something that would prove his innocence. So far there was nothing. And nothing that put him at the scene.  
“I need an investigator or two.” Sofia came in the room with a bunch of flowers. Red, white, yellow and pink roses.   
“Wow, I’m impressed, you really paid some money for your lover I never did that to one of my girlfriends.” Greg said.  
“Honey, roses are too dangerous for your girlfriends, they might get in contact with one of the thorns and lose all their air.” Sofia blinked at him with a smirk.   
“The next time we won’t look for her that fast.” Greg pretend to be offended.   
“Where did you get this from?”  
“It could be that I bought it for you.” Sofia smiled.  
“No. You said you need an investigator, they’re evidence.”  
“I love this smart woman. It was sent to me, the card is in the bag.”  
“Who?”  
“Bertolli.”   
“He sends roses?”   
“No need to be jealous, Sara, if he would know you he had sent them to you.” Sofia blinked at her lover. “I don’t know what he is trying to do, but I’m sure you’ll find out if these roses will help us. If not, we’ll give them away, I won’t keep them.”  
“What does the card say?” Sara made the decision she would ignore Sofia’s try to mock her. She knew there was no reason to be jealous.   
Sofia handed the bagged card to Sara.   
“I’m sure you’ll find out very soon I didn’t lie. Massaratti. MB.” Sara put the card down. “What is Massaratti?”  
“Not what, who. Massaratti is his opponent in New York, I read up on that.”  
“He is in New York…”  
“That’s what I thought and dug deeper. Massaratti owns a casino in Vegas. Italian Dolce Vita. I thought you might want to join Macy and me to this casino, Sara. If you can leave the evidence to Greg.”  
“You don’t need her when you’ve got Macy.” Greg said.  
“Greg, Greg, see that’s the reason why you are single: I do need Sara. I need her 24/7, no matter if it’s a private or business matter. I love her, there is no time I don’t need her. And she’s the CSI, there might be evidence to collect. Macy can’t do that, it’s not her territorial. Or do you have any problems that Sara comes with me? Are you jealous, Greggo?”  
“No. I just want to have her here with me.”  
“Maybe I should be jealous.” Sofia cocked her head. “Sara?”  
“When do you want to go?”  
“ASAP. All I wanted was to leave the flowers here and ask you to join us.”  
“What’s about Walker Johnny?” Greg asked.  
“Walker Johnny?” Sofia looked at him in disbelief.   
“That’s the guy who tied you up. Brass is on his way to get him.”  
“I really doubt he’ll get him at his address. Bertolli won’t make this mistake, it will be a faked address like the name is a fake. Walker Johnny, what a crap. Who am I? Mary Bloody?”  
“In that case I’ll be Sunrise Tequila, I like that one.”  
“Sunrise isn’t a proper name.” Greg disagreed.   
“People call their children Apple, Ocean or Tu Morrow, I think Sunrise is harmless against these names.”  
“Who calls his or her child Tu Morrow?”  
“Rob Morrow.”  
“Never heard of him. Is it a male or female child?”  
“I’ve no idea, I saw it on a list of the worst celebrity child names.”  
“Could you come back to the case?” Sofia asked careful. “I’d like to leave now. Sara?”  
“I’ll check up with Grissom and will be at your car in five minutes.”  
“Okay. Bye Greggo.”  
“Bye bye Detective Flower.” He grinned and turned to Sara. “What do you want me to do with the roses?”  
“I doubt he touched them but try to find out where he bought them and if they have any contact dates of him. We need an address, telephone number, anything. This guys lives in Vegas, he must have anything anywhere.”  
“I’m on it. Take care with the Mafiosi.”  
“Massaratti. Wasn’t that a car?”  
“It is.”  
“Something is wrong with these people.” She stopped before she left the room. “Check if you find anything about an Bertolli Marco. Maybe he switched names too.”  
“Good idea.”  
Sara left the room and walked over to Grissom’s office. Her boss and ex lover was on his desk, doing the hated paper work.  
“Hey.” Sara leaned on the door frame.  
“Hey, how are you?”  
“Alright.”  
“Sofia?”  
“Better than I was.”  
“In some cases the abduction is worse for the ones who are left behind than for the one who is abducted. She felt the whole time in control, you had no control, it’s natural that you are more shaken than she is. I hope she isn’t only preventing the whole thing.”  
“I’ll take care of her.”  
“Of course you will.” He smiled a little bit. “If you need a day off to get her away from all these things, let me know.”  
“At the moment she’s too busy hunting a killer. And I won’t leave now. I’ve got the chance to work with two Sofias, that’s something special, I’ve to enjoy that.”  
“They are both on their way to Massaratti…it’s a car, isn’t it?”  
“Yes. Different spelling, but yes. They like to give themselves names you’ve heard somehow before.”  
“Marco Bertolli?”  
“I told Greg to find out what this name could stand for.”  
“Good. You join the twins?”  
“Yeah.” Sara had to laugh. Twins. She would ask Sofia later who was the younger twin.  
“Enjoy and take care. I don’t want another night like the last one. I don’t want you been gone, Sara.”  
“I’ll take care of myself.”  
“Sofia will.”  
“She’ll do too. See you later.”  
“Bye.”  
That was her way to get the approval to leave the lab. Not that she really needed one, but she liked to keep Grissom informed. He was her supervisor and if anybody – most likely Ecklie – wanted to make her life difficult, it was good to have Grissom updated.   
Macy and Sofia were already waiting at Sofia’s car.  
“Your five minutes are long.  
“I stopped by at Grissom’s office. Sorry.”  
“You need his approval to leave?”  
“No, I don’t. If you go on talking crap we’ll need even more time.” Sara eyed Sofia.  
“Bitchy today.” The blonde mumbled.   
“She’ll be fine, probably still worried because of yesterday.” Macy said with a smile.   
“Hello? I can hear you both.”  
“That’s good to know, Sara Sweetheart.” Sofia smirked when she got the evil eyes from Sara. Sofia wasn’t supposed to call her pet names while they were working. Especially when somebody else was around. She could ignore that when Greg was there, but this was a NCIS from Los Angeles, they had to be professional.   
“What is your plan? We walk into the ITALIAN DOLCE VITA, ask for Mister Massaratti and he’ll greet us with arms wide open?”  
“That’s the plan.” Sofia answered serious.   
“Really?” Sara doubted it would be that easy.   
“In theory.”   
“We’ll see how it goes. If he doesn’t want to talk to us in his casino, we’ll invite him down town. I’m sure I’ll find some officers who will get him out of his place and in our place.”  
“No more violence, please.” Sara had enough violence for the next weeks. Having her lover’s life in danger wasn’t something she needed on a daily base.   
The ITALIAN DOLCE VITA wasn’t on the strip, it was around a mile south of the strip, twenty levels high with a huge fountain in front of it. A little bit like they tried to pretend to be the little sister of the Bellagio.   
“Second floor, south stairs.” Macy said. “That’s where the manager’s office is.”  
“How do you know?” Sofia was surprised.   
“It’s all in the internet.” Macy held up a hand computer. “I thought I read up on the casino while you were driving.”  
“In that case, we can help ourselves to the boss.” Sofia smiled. When they didn’t have to ask for the manager, nobody could call and warn him and nobody could tell them lies about Mister Massaratti not being in the house.   
Without anybody paying attention to them they entered the casino, walked along the slots and tables, up the south stairs. With Macy’s hand computer they found their way to the manager’s door. When Sofia tried to open it, she found out it was locked. A bell and a camera over the door told them, whoever was working in here didn’t like uninvited guests.   
A man around seven foot tall opened the door. “The twins and a bonus. Mister Massaratti will be very pleased. Come in.” His smile was wide and his eyes undressed the three women.   
Twins? Bonus? Sara had to work to keep her poker face. Whatever this man was talking, she was sure he was wrong, but he got them in the place they wanted to be.   
“Just go in here, the top floor, Mister Massaratti is waiting for you.” He opened an elevator and let them go in. With a last dirty smile he closed the door.   
“The twins and a bonus?” Sara whispered.   
“That’s who we are.” Sofia smiled and looked inconspicuously around. She bet there were cameras and perhaps microphones in here.   
The door opened and they were in a huge kind of lobby. Music was playing and a sweet smell was in the air.   
There was a bar on the right side, a bottle of champagne and some glasses on top, a bowl of strawberries. A window at the opposite of the room showed, they were pretty high, probably top floor.   
“Wow.” A man in his late forties appeared out from one of the doors on the left. He wore nothing more than a bathrobe. “I thought I asked for the twins. Well, I don’t know you twins, but that they send me a bonus with my twins is really nice. We’ll have a lovely evening, ladies. Can I offer you some champagne?”  
“No thanks.” Sofia said. “We’d like to talk to you, Mister Massaratti.”  
“Honey, you can do a lot of things with your mouth while you’re hear, talking isn’t a thing I pay you for. Leave it to me and use your pretty mouth for better things.”  
“I think you don’t understand who we are.”  
“The twins.”  
“LVPD.” Sofia held her badge up.  
“Oh, cop twins. I didn’t now you can book that. That’s special. I’ll enjoy it when you handcuff me; all three of you.”  
“I thought we talk to you without handcuffing. There’s no reason to handcuff you.”  
“You really like playing bad cop bitches, don’t you? I’ve to say it’s stimulating. Wanna see my weapon?” His hands moved but stopped as soon as he saw Sofia’s, Sara’s and Macy’s weapons pointing on him.   
“Hell, they gave you everything, didn’t they. You scared me for a moment.”  
“Detective Curtis, LVPD. We are not your hookers, Mister Massaratti. This is Special Agent Macy, NCIS L.A. and Sara Sidle, CSI Las Vegas. We need to talk to you. If you please let your bathrobe closed and sit down.”  
“Who let you in?”  
“Your butler, who thought we’re the twins with bonus. I guess your real twins are downstairs now and try to explain that you asked for them. If I were you, I’d hope that the butler sends them away. I don’t have to tell you, that prostitution is illegal in Clark County, do I?”  
“Who said something about prostitution?”  
“Exactly. Now that we all know who we are, we’d like to ask you some questions. I’m sure you’ll have some time for us, the twins, don’t you?” Sofia made it more than clear that he better had some time for them. Her smile was too friendly to be true.   
“Sure, I love to talk to beautiful women. Do you want some champagne?”  
“We’re working, no thanks. Mister Massaratti…”  
“Call me Dino.”  
“Mr. Massaratti, we would like to know where you were on the night on Friday.”  
“Here.”  
“Do you have an alibi? Somebody to confirm that?”  
“The twins?” He smiled.   
“In that case you should order your butler to let them upstairs, we need to talk to them.”  
“Okay.” He took a phone and dialed a number. “Diego, are the twins there?…no, they are the twins…who you sent upstairs? The police….yes, I know you are sorry, you are very sorry, believe me. Now get the real twins up. Pronto!”   
“They’ll be here soon.”  
“Good. Meanwhile, tell us something about your relationship to Marco Bertolli.”  
“You know my relationship to him, otherwise you wouldn’t ask.”  
“Tell me your side of the story, his wasn’t that good for you.”  
“We’ve got some minor disagreements, nothing to worry about.”  
“The list of dead people tells me anything else.”  
“I didn’t kill anybody, detective.”  
“Of course you didn’t. You know Sergeant Portfield?”  
“I’m afraid I don’t.”  
“Cooper Alice?”  
“Cooper Alice? With this ridiculous name it must be one of Bertolli’s men, you should ask him.”  
“I’d love to, unfortunately we don’t have an address.”  
“Why didn’t you say that at the beginning? I’m more than happy to give you his address. Want his cell phone number too?”  
“Sure.” Sofia hid a smile. Of course Massaratti was pleased to help them to find his opponent. Whatever he could do to make Bertolli’s life more difficult, he would do.  
“You know, Mister Bertolli told me, you killed Sergeant Portfield and Cooper Alice.”  
“Why would I do that?”  
“Perhaps they worked for Bertolli.”  
“I don’t kill people only because they’re working for people I think are idiots. In that case would have had to kill everybody who was working for the state between 2000 and 2008. Don’t you think that’s a little bit too much for me?”  
“I think you would be very dead if you had tried that.”  
“Presumably.” The door to the elevator opened. Sara and Macy had their weapon out in case Massaratti had ordered some of his men. Instead of armed men two women came in the room; the twins. They were blond like Sofia and Macy, but at least ten years younger. Scared because of the guns they started screaming.  
“LVPD, shut up!” Sofia said. To her surprise both were quiet immediately. “Sit down.”  
“There are my twins, aren’t they lovely.”  
Macy shot him a look that made him shut up too.   
“Who are you?” Sofia demanded.   
“The twins.” The right one said.  
“Funny. Names, address and cell phone number and don’t start giving us any of your work place shit. Sara?”  
“I’ll take care of that.”  
“While I am getting interesting contact details, would you mind to write yours down, Mister Massaratti?”  
“You know where to find me.”  
“Yeah, I’d love to call you the next time.”  
“A date? You are pretty hot, you shouldn’t waste that on your job, you can easily do something that will bring you ten times more money.”  
“Be careful, you start to sound like a pimp.” Sofia took the paper with Bertolli’s and Massaratti’s details. She got her cell, dialed a number and smiled.   
“Nice try, Mister Massaratti. If I want to order a pizza I know where to go. I think we should go down town and talk there.”  
“You don’t have any humor?”  
“Apparently not. I really don’t like it when people lie to me. Sara, take these girls down, we’ll have our chat down town.”  
“May I put on something more suitable?”  
“You may tell Agent Macy where your clothes are and she can bring them to you. I won’t let you go into a room for changing. This is your casino, Mister Massaratti and I’m sure, you have some nice features in your room. You won’t miss out our party because of a hidden emergency way nor will I risk you being armed.”  
“You don’t trust me?”  
“Not a bit, or shall I say a pizza bite?”  
“Second door on the left, down the hallway, last door at the end. I’ve got some pants, shirt and a jacket on the bed.” He said to Macy.   
“I’ll be back soon.”  
“Just remember, you don’t have a warrant. I don’t want you in any other room. It will take not more than thirty seconds to be back.”  
“Who’s not trusting whom?” Sara asked sweet.   
“You started that, Lady.”  
“That’s what happens when you order twins and get twins with a surprise. Surprise.” 

“There are five lawyers with Massaratti.” Sara said.   
“Pretty much for a man who says he didn’t do anything wrong.” The detective took a sip of her coffee. They had given themselves a little break while Massaratti and his lawyers were in one of the rooms.   
“They are all innocent. They could stand covert in blood next to a body, holding the knife in their hands and would still swear, they’re innocent.”  
“And their lawyers would believe that.”  
“They get paid to believe whatever he tells them.”  
“I get paid to believe nothing.”  
“Their money is better.”  
“It is. But my girlfriend is better than theirs.” Sofia grinned.   
“You know their girlfriends? I thought I saw rings on at least two hands.” Sara smirked.   
“Don’t need to see that to know mine is the most beautiful one. And I don’t think they would mind a girlfriend besides their wife. I’m sure they are real men and real men can handle more than one woman.”  
“I know this kind of man.” Hank had more than Sara as his girlfriend. Things like that happened. She had never thought he’s the one, he was nothing more than a cheap replacement for Grissom.   
“Only an idiot would betray you. Lucky for both of us I’m not an idiot.”  
“You’re one of the hot twins.”  
“I am. The younger and hotter one.”  
“I wondered the whole time who the younger one was.” Sara cocked her head watching Sofia. “The hotter one? Well…” Sofia narrowed her eyes. “Definitely!”  
“If you tease me, my lovely Sara Sweetheart, it might end bad for you. I might forget our agreement about how to behave at work. You tease me and I’ll pull you into my arms and kiss you. You won’t like that.”  
“I wouldn’t say I don’t like your kisses. I think they deserve a better place than the department. And your colleagues will have a lot of fun with you when they find out about us. They are not like mine.”  
“True.” Sofia looked up. Brass came with Bertolli on his side down the hallway.   
“He got Bertolli.” The address Massaratti had given them was therefore the correct one. At least one thing that was true.   
Sara’s eyes became furious. There was the man who abducted her lover. She wished she could have five minutes alone with him, he would never ever come close to Sofia.   
“Don’t.” Sofia had seen the reaction of her girlfriend. “Don’t do anything stupid, Sara. It’s alright, nothing happened to me, don’t give him anything he might use against us.”  
“If I could do what I want to do, he wouldn’t be able to do anything at all.”  
“I prefer to spend my nights with you in our bed and not alone while you’re in a cell. Leave that to Bertolli and Massaratti.”  
“He abducted my lover.”  
“Usually I love it when you’re getting macho, it looks so cute, but this time, leave it, please.”  
“I won’t touch him.”  
“Will you shoot him?”  
“I’d love to.”  
“Don’t do it, okay?”  
“I won’t.” Sara touched Sofia’s hand for a second. “I’ll be a good CSI.”  
“Good.”  
Brass came in the room. “Do you want to join the interview with Bertolli?”  
“Yes.” Both women answered.   
“Sorry Sara, not your turn. You can watch, if we need a CSI, we’ll call you. Don’t shoot the guy, he isn’t worth it.”  
Sofia chuckled and followed Jim Brass. Marco Bertolli sat without a lawyer by his side in interview room 3. A small smile appeared when he saw Sofia.   
“Mister Bertolli.” She sat in front of him.   
“And you are?”  
“The detective you abducted yesterday.” Brass said. “Don’t try to play us.”  
“I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”  
“You have. You know what you’ll get for abducting a detective?”  
“A detective? She’s way too pretty to be a cop.” Bertolli grinned wide.   
“Surprise. Why don’t you save your and our time and stop playing dumb? Don’t you wonder how we found out where to find you?” Brass asked.  
“The roses.” Bertolli’s eyes were still on Sofia. “Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman. You know, a woman with your talents could make so much more out of her life than being a cop.”  
“I heard that today before, your best friend Massaratti suggested the same.”  
“You spent time with him? I thought your taste is better.”  
“What can I say? Yesterday you suggested so kindly to me I should meet him, so I did that today. He claims he has no idea who the two men killed.”  
“And you believe him?”  
“Why should he lie? They’re dead and were found on your premises. There’s no evidence that anybody else than you had contact to them. And he didn’t abduct me.”  
“And I thought you work as good as you look.”  
“Sorry to disappoint you. But I’m not that bad, I found you.”  
“You could have asked.”  
“You didn’t leave your card when you abducted me.”  
“I didn’t abducted you. You wanted to meet me, friends of mine made that possible.”  
“The next time we should meet like ordinary people in a café. Or I’ll ask my friends to bring you around. I like this meeting much more.”  
“As you will have noticed, I didn’t call any lawyer, I guess this is a friendly meeting about the deaths of my friends.”  
“That’s a nice term. Nobody knew that Sergeant Portfield was one of your friends.”  
“I’m not responsible for that. And do you tell your colleagues who are your friends? Does Captain Brass know all your friends?”  
“Most of them.”  
“But not all.”  
“No.”  
“See.”  
“Are you interested in finding the killer of your friends?”  
“Sure I am. And I think you found him.”  
“Who?”  
“Massaratti.”  
“Why should he do that?” Brass asked.  
“To harm me.”  
“Why?”  
“That’s what he does. For years.”  
“That breaks my heart. You’re both not innocent. So if you don’t want to be in big trouble and having the DA in here accusing you with double murder, you should start to talk. Like your friend did when he told detective Curtis where we can find you.”  
“Did you interrupt him with the twins?” Bertolli smirked.  
“No, I went to him as one of the twins.”  
“Lucky bastard!”   
“That’s what he thought first until he found out who I really am. So Bertolli, do you want to tell us something or shall we go to Massaratti and his lawyers? I’m sure he has got a lovely story for us.”  
“He lawyer up? Coward. We’re talking about Friday night, right?”  
“Yes.”  
“I was in New York.”  
“Anybody reliable who can confirm that.”  
“Do you accept NYPD?”  
“I beg your pardon?” Did he really offer the New Yorker Police Department as a witness for his whereabouts? Sofia thought she didn’t hear right.   
“Your colleagues should have a lovely photo of me, being a little bit in a hurry on the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday evening. I wasn’t pleased, it’s my first speeding ticket. The next time I’ll let somebody else drive.”  
“You got a speeding ticket?” That had to be a joke.   
“Yes and I’m afraid your colleagues will ask for my license. Really sad.”  
“I think it has a good side for you. If that story turns out to be true, you’ve got a pretty good alibi.”  
“I’ll bear that in mind when I have to walk.” He smiled.   
Sofia got up.  
“You want to leave me?”  
“I’ll check your alibi. Captain Brass will take good care of you.” She smirked and left the room.   
“Do you believe him?” Sara had left the room behind the mirror.   
“NYPD will tell us. You want to come with me or do you want to stay here?”  
“I should go to the lab.”  
“What for? There’s no fresh evidence. You can come in with me when Massaratti and his sharks are done.”  
“Do you try to keep me close to you?”  
“Always. Come on.” Sofia’s finger touched Sara’s hand. Together they walked to Sofia’s desk. Sara started to make some coffee while Sofia dialed the number of the NYPD.   
“Detective Flack, it’s detective Curtis, LVPD, I called yesterday…yes our Mafia men….they are both here in the department…no…we can’t hold them for long, there’s no evidence…I need to ask for a favor. Bertolli claimed he was on Friday in New York. He said he got a speeding ticket on the Brooklyn Bridge in the evening….yeah camera, not stopped…could you check that for me? If he really got that ticket, he can’t be our killer…no….well, I can give you his cell phone number, we got that from Massaratti, even if I think he’ll change that number as soon as he’s out of this building…yes…yes, grab something to write…”  
Sara took both cups and carried them to the table. She liked to watch Sofia working. She was so serious and into her work, a cop by heart. Seeing her working here helped her to understand why Sofia wasn’t happy in the lab. That was for her like it would be for Sara if anybody forced her to go to the PD. It wasn’t her world. They had the same purpose, they wanted the bad guys locked away, but the way they worked was totally different.   
“He’ll check and call me right back. Thanks.” Sofia took the coffee, letting her fingers touch Saras a little bit longer than it was necessary.   
“You’re welcome.” Sara smiled. “Do you know you’re really cute when you’re working? I love to watch you.”  
“Ditto. Do you know what the best thing is about my job?”  
“What?”  
“I get paid to watch you working. Keep the CSI safe, what a great job.”  
“That’s why you follow me all the time.”  
“I follow you all the time because you love to leave crime scene without telling anybody, Sara. Somebody has to take care of you.”  
“You”  
“You want somebody else?”  
“No.” Sara. “I’ve got exactly the one I wanted.”

“He really got a speeding ticket and it’s definitely him. Bertolli wasn’t in Vegas when Cooper and Portfield got killed.” Sofia had the copy of Bertolli’s speeding ticket photo in her hands. “NYPD sent it over.”  
“I think in that case his alibi is solid.” Brass sighed.  
“Yeah.” Sofia wasn’t happy with that. It wasn’t like she liked Bertolli more for the killings than Massaratti, she wanted both to be locked away. This photo made her chance of locking Bertolli away for the rest of his life smaller.   
“We’ll get him for your abduction.”  
“He has got a lot of lawyer, he’ll pin it on Daniel Jacks.”  
“You saw him, it doesn’t matter what he says. You’re a detective, if you tell the judge it was Bertolli who ordered your abduction…”  
“I can’t prove that. We all know he did that, but how can we prove it? Jacks won’t say Bertolli ordered him to abduct me, if he does, he’ll be dead within the next 24 hours and his whole family too. He knows that. He’ll confess and will go to prison to protect his family and life. That’s another thing that really stinks.”  
“We’ll do everything we can to get him locked up.” Brass laid an arm around Sofia. “He won’t walk away easily.”  
“But he will walk away. I know it.”  
“Give Sara two minutes alone with him and won’t walk anyway.”   
“Jim, we both know, she’d do something that would bring her trouble. I don’t want to lose her for such an idiot like Bertolli.”  
“Problems?” Gil came in the room.  
“No.” Sofia sighed.  
“My girl worries that this Mafia asshole won’t get punished for abductioning her; and she’s probably right.”  
“You saw him.”  
“I saw him and his men will swear he has never been there. They’ll confess and there’s nothing I can do to prove him wrong.”  
“Of course you can.”  
“I can?”  
“Sofia, think like a CSI. We know where he talked to you, all we need are his shoes, we’ll find the evidence that will place him there. How is that for a start?” He smiled thinly.   
“That, Grissom, is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. I’ll get a judge for a warrant. Do you have any more ideas?”  
“I’ve got plenty of them.”  
“That’s why he’s the supervisor.” Jim grinned. “Get a warrant and try to cover with it as much as possible.”  
“I will.” Relieved and with a little bit more hope Sofia left the room.   
“She’s taking it alright?” Grissom asked.  
“So far. She wants to see Bertolli locked away.” And then he added because Grissom didn’t know the news. “He was in New York on Friday. NYPD sent us a photo of him speeding in the Brooklyn Bridge. Two hours before Portfield was killed, impossible for him to be the killer.”  
“Possible for him to order the kill and get this photo as a alibi.”  
“Yeah, we’ve not proof for that. If Sofia gets the warrant we might find something more. I would like you to join me in case we can search Bertolli’s house. Leave the kids out.”  
“You don’t think they should be there?”  
“Yours is too angry and mine is too eager to get him. And both have personal reasons to get Bertolli in prison. If we find anything against him, I will take Sofia off the case immediately. His lawyer will love tearing her work apart.”  
“True. I might send Sara to another case too. You never know the jury reacts when they find out that the investigator is the girlfriend of the abducted detective.”  
“You ever thought of not letting them work together anymore?”  
“No.” Gil smiled. “There’s no reason. They do a good job, why tear them apart? Because of the possibility of a case like this? No. You?”  
“About a second and then I got my head clear. They’re a kind of cute together.”  
“I know now, that when my investigator takes off again, your detective will make damn sure, she won’t take off alone.” Gil smirked. He had worried sometimes about Sara, knowing how often she walks off without telling anybody. Now, when she was at the same scene like Sofia, he knew the blonde would make sure, Sara was safe. 

“I can’t believe they told us to back off.” Sofia kicked a chair in her living room. It flew through the room and crashed into a wall.   
Sara winced.   
“Too personal. What a shit. Of course I take it personal when somebody drags me into a car, tied me up and blindfolded me. I take that damn personal. What do they expect? But that’s no fucking reason to do a bad job. What do they think? I’ll place some faked evidence? I’ll make a story up to get this asshole? Shit I’d love to.” She kicked the next chair in front of the wall. “I’d really love that. But I’m a good detective, I don’t do that. Idiots.” She kicked her boots through the room and turned. Immediately her anger was gone and she was with Sara, anxious to touch her.   
“I’m sorry.” How could she react like that? She had scared Sara, it was more than obvious.   
“It’s alright, I’m fine.”  
“You’re not.” Oh, she felt sorry. She felt how her heart broke. She felt guilty. She felt stupid. Why didn’t she think first?   
“I scared you. Can I…may I…is it alright if I take you in my arms?” Don’t do more wrong than you’ve already done, Sofia.   
“Sure.” Sara pulled Sofia in her arms.   
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”  
“I shouldn’t be that sensitive. You’re mad, you need to let it out.”  
“Yeah but not in a way that makes you remember the bad things of your childhood.”  
“I was happy when he kicked nothing more than the chair.”  
“I’m sorry, I truly am.”  
“It’s alright. I’m not happy that we got pulled off either.”  
“You think the Sheriff told them to do so?”  
“No. They knew if we stay on we might give the lawyers something they can use. They did that because they want Bertolli locked away just as much as we do.”  
“You’re right.” Sofia sighed and kissed Sara’s ear.   
“I’m always right, you should know that. Now detective, what do you think of getting the chairs back where they belong and making breakfast? I’m starving. Some eggs, toast, bacon for you and after a shower we jump into your bed, snuggle up and sleep for eight hours.”  
“Sounds like a free Sunday.”  
“It’s not Sunday, we have not a day off, but we can pretend it’s a free Sunday if you like.”  
“Do I get lazy Sunday sex?”  
“I don’t know about your ex lovers, but I’ve never experienced you lazy while we had sex.” Sara smirked coy.   
“No, being lazy isn’t my style. I need to touch you, kiss you, feel you. That’s easier when I’m active.”  
“Be active, clean up the mess you made.”  
“Sara?” Sofia held her girlfriend before she could walk away.  
“Yes?”  
“I never wanted to scare you or make you uncomfortable in any way.”  
“I know. Don’t worry about it.”  
“You know, no matter what happens, I could never hurt you.”  
“I know.” Sara kissed Sofia. “Stop worrying about it. I’m fine. If you want to scare me away you have to try harder.”  
“It was hard enough to get you, Sara Sidle, I won’t scare you away!”  
“Good. I want to spend some more time with you, Sofia Curtis. A lifetime or something like that.”  
“I’m glad you didn’t say ‘life sentence’.”  
“No, that sounds like...sooner or later I’d prefer to get the death penalty.”  
“Being with me is a worse punishment. sweetie.”  
“Really? So far not. Tidy up your mess, Rambo.”  
“I’ll give you Rambo later.”  
“You give me whatever you want as long as it’s good.” Sara smirked and left the living room to the kitchen.   
“She’s dirty.” Sofia smiled. She was relieved she didn’t scare Sara. The next time she’d get rid off her anger in another way or when Sara wasn’t with her. The problem was, she wanted Sara to be with her all the time, she didn’t want to be without her. So she had to find another way to let her anger free. Screaming under the shower? Getting the carpet out and slap it until there was no dusk left in it? That should work and she would be happy later about the clean carpet!

“Don’t be peeved.” Grissom sighed when Sara ignored him.   
“I’m not peeved.”  
“You are. We had no other choice than removing you and Sofia from the team. We’re about to nail both, Bertolli and Mattarazzi because you two did such a great job…”  
“Gil, I don’t want to talk about that anymore. I don’t care who close the case as long as these men will end up in prison.”  
“They will.”  
“Good.”  
“You’re still peeved.”  
“Gil…”  
“You snapped at me, you’re peeved.”  
“I won’t have this conversation with you any longer.” She turned and walked away. “I have some work to do.” She heard Grissom sighing ‘Women’ and vanished in an empty room to look at evidence from a new case; or Warrick’s old case.   
It wasn’t like really minded that she was off the case, she thought it was better, more safe for herself and Sofia, but could have asked them if they would give their case away.   
And Sara knew, Sofia was really mad about that. Unfortunately that was the best reason to get her off the case, she took it too personal. She wanted to get Bertolli so badly, if it was for the killing or for the abduction, Sara wasn’t sure. Her girlfriend wasn’t in a good mood and Sara hoped that whoever was out with Sofia tonight, would make sure, the blonde stayed calm. 

“Sara, do you have a moment?” Macy came in the room.  
“Sure.” She put her evidence aside.   
“Not here, break room.”  
“Okay.” Even better, she needed a coffee. To her surprise was Sofia in the break room too.  
“Hey, shouldn’t you be out?”  
“I was with Greg.” Sara sighed relieved. Greg was the best person for Sofia to be around today. He knew how she felt and wouldn’t be offended when the detective was a little bit snappy.   
“You?”  
“Working on the evidence Warrick collected yesterday.”  
“Great.”   
Sara sat next to the detective and took her hand for a short moment. Sofia needed to calm down.   
“I want to thank you for your work.” Macy started.   
“You got us removed from the case.”  
“You know why, detective Curtis and I understand why you’re angry. I can promise you, these men will pay. Betolli will pay for your abduction, I’ll take of that. Without your work and yours, Sara, we would be still looking for a killer or a connection. Now we might be able to get two bosses from New York’s Mafia scene. And a killer of a Marine.”  
“A dirty Marine.”  
“A Marine none the less. I know you understand why your boss took of the case, detective and you know he had no other choice and that you’d have done the same if you were in his shoes.”  
“Maybe.” Sofia grumbled.   
“She’s fine.” Sara smiled a little bit.   
“I can see she’s the temper and you’re the patient, Sara.”  
“Most times. She’s the fire.” Sara smirked when she said that, knowing Sofia knew she was referring to the first day they’d met Macy and Warrick had said, Macy had fire in her eyes.  
“And you’re the ice?”  
“No, her eyes are icy blue, she’s both.”  
“You’re definitely an interesting pair. I’d like to work with you again. If you ever feel like a change, coming to Los Angeles and working for NCIS, you’re more than welcome to join my team. I could use you.”  
“Uhm…thanks…but no, thanks. We’re happy in Vegas…I think?” Sara looked at Sofia.  
“We are.” Sofia sighed. “Not right now but in general. I can’t get my CSI away from her colleagues and I enjoy working with Brass. Thanks Macy, but I think we won’t leave…or, do you guys have a lot of time for the beach?”  
“If I say yes you’ll come to L.A.? No, we don’t. We’re as busy as you are here.”  
“Pity. I could imagine myself on a beach every day, can you, Sara?”  
“I can imagine you on a beach, yes.”  
“Silly.” Sofia nudged Sara and got serious again. “When do you think you can arrest Mazzaratti and Bertolli?”  
“Within the next thirty-six hours. You’re more than welcome to have a look from the observation room.”  
“No, I’ll go on with Warrick’s old case. Somebody is waiting for justice.”  
“And I’ll get out and catch some bad guys. Somebody has to get the other Bertolli’s of the street.”  
“You’re the best person for that job, detective.”  
“Thanks.”   
Macy got up. “I’ll contact you as soon as there’s something new in this case.” She smiled and left the room.  
“A compliment, an offer of a new job and I still feel shit because they’ve taken away this case.” Sofia sighed.  
“It will always be your case, honey.”  
“My ex case.”  
“There could be something worse be your ex, couldn’t it?”  
“Yeah.” Sofia took Sara’s hand. “I love you.”  
“I love you too. Come on, catch a bad guy for me, detective.”  
“Find the evidence to convict one, investigator.” They blinked at each other and left the room. After all, they lost a case but they still had each other and that was much more important than anything else.


End file.
